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Mansfield Park opening chapter summary

Jane Austen uses the opening chapter in Mansfield Park to identify and outline her main points of view and themes for the rest of the novel. She establishes the idea of women becoming the social class of their husband; by three sisters from Huntingdon who were originally from a most likely good business middle classed family..

Miss Maria, who had the “good luck” to “captivate” and marry upper class Sir Thomas Bertram of Mansfield Park with a “large income”.

Miss Frances, however, married to “disoblige” her family to a working class lieutenant of the marines, without any education or fortune.

The identification of the class system was imperative at that time, so the names of the characters immediately identified their new social status after marriage. Miss Maria becomes ‘Lady Bertram’, Miss Ward becomes ‘Miss Norris’ and the most common working class name, Price, is given to Miss Frances who married the soldier, becoming ‘Mrs Price’. The way Austen establishes this idea of women marrying into their husbands social class gives off a negative effect, almost like she dislikes the system;

“But there certainly are not so many men of large fortune in the world as there are pretty women to deserve them”

This line so early in the opening chapter shows us Jane Austen’s view. The phrase “pretty woman” gives off a derogatory feel to the reader, explaining that the many “rich men” in the world only deserve the “pretty” ornament-like women.

This leads us back to the class system; the middle classes supported and provided for the upper class, whilst they used their land. Mr Norris being an example as he is given income in the living of Mansfield by friend Sir Bertram. And those who working classes work for, Mr Price for example, although he was unemployable due to his lack of education- this is what makes the middle classes stand out, their knowledge.